Today David and I were at Eurotunnel (Folkestone) collecting money for Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance on what is one of their busiest weekends of the year. This is the start of the School holidays and vacation time. Yesterday 10,000 cars passed through Folkestone en route to France and today the number was 7,000 cars.
We had a lot of fun chatting to some lovely people, most of whom were happy to be starting their holiday and generous with their donations. Everybody loves the Air Ambulance so its never a hardship collecting for them - although the buckets get very heavy, very quickly, with the weight of coins and we had to keep swapping the buckets for empty ones.
July 26th will forever be a day of mourning for everyone connected to Kent’s air ambulance service. It was an accident which brought the county together in grief.
Tragedy struck on that day in 1998 when the air ambulance crashed in a field near Burham, killing pilot Graham Budden 40, and paramedics Mark Darby, 37 and Tony Richardson, 47 .
This is the memorial to the brave crew who died that day (taken from the Kent Air Ambulance website)
We had a lot of fun chatting to some lovely people, most of whom were happy to be starting their holiday and generous with their donations. Everybody loves the Air Ambulance so its never a hardship collecting for them - although the buckets get very heavy, very quickly, with the weight of coins and we had to keep swapping the buckets for empty ones.
July 26th will forever be a day of mourning for everyone connected to Kent’s air ambulance service. It was an accident which brought the county together in grief.
Tragedy struck on that day in 1998 when the air ambulance crashed in a field near Burham, killing pilot Graham Budden 40, and paramedics Mark Darby, 37 and Tony Richardson, 47 .
This is the memorial to the brave crew who died that day (taken from the Kent Air Ambulance website)
"Sue Clinker" has been included in the twelfth edition of our Thinking of Christmas Gifts in July 2014 series. Be assured that we hope this helps to point many new customers in your direction.
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P.S.: What you are doing for Air Ambulance Service is a really good thing.
Thank you (on all counts) Jerry. We have good cause to be grateful to the Air Ambulance and are happy to do our little bit to raise much needed funds for them.
ReplyDeleteGood for you collecting for this very worth cause and interesting tribute to those who lost their lives. Happy Sunday hope you photograph many a fallow.
ReplyDeleteThank you Polly. I have hundreds of folders full of ref. photos which will probably never get used ... but I still can't resist getting out there and photographing more animals LOL
ReplyDeleteHaven't got many deer photos though so hoping to get a few decent shots
I'm sure the Air Ambulance appreciates what you and David do to raise money for them. If it's anything like our Life Flight services, it's a very worthy cause!
ReplyDeleteHave fun "shooting" the deer!
When was the Air Ambulance created Sue? It sure wasn't around when we emigrated. I think it's great that you collect for them.
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ReplyDeleteHi Jo.
ReplyDelete1989 1st Air Ambulance. 2005 it started carrying Dr on board and 2007 we got a second helicopter and extended area to cover Kent Surrey & Sussex but they can arrive anywhere in the area within 20 mins from take-off and now have a Doctor and Paramedic on board who can carry out roadside procedures before transporting patients to the nearest appropriate trauma centre/hospital. When Stepson, Richard, had his motorcycle accident Air Ambulance put him into an induced coma at the roadside and then took him to a London Hospital (where he spent several months but he wouldn't have been alive but for the Air Ambulance)
It costs £6million per annum to fund the 2 Air Ambulances - almost entirely dependent on fundraisers although the NHS pays the salaries of the medical staff.
Sounds wonderful. But what a lot of money. No wonder they need fundraisers. £6 million is very expensive. Somebody should talk to Prince William, he has his own chopper, maybe he could lend it for free.
ReplyDeleteIt is expensive Jo, but saves countless lives - people who wouldn't be here if they had to rely on road transportation to hospitals.
ReplyDeletePrince William is (allegedly) going to work for East Anglian Air Ambulance but will receive a salary of around £40,000 per year. We need more Royal Pilots perhaps? I'm not sure he has his 'own chopper' though?
According to news reports here a while back, the Queen was supposed to have given him one for his birthday. A chopper that is.
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